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News and Events
Summer Program starts at Akita International University!
June 21 - 35 new international students from 10 countries and regions around the world came to Akita International University to participate in the summer program. For the next six weeks, they will study Japanese language and culture, participate in workshops on Japanese traditional arts, and go on field trips to important cultural and natural sites around Akita Prefecture.
Orientation
To prepare them for their upcoming adventure, Akita International University provides new students with an orientation program to learn about the academic and extracurricular schedule, and what challenges they can expect to face.
Assisting the staff are volunteer "peer supporters," who show new students the ropes, and help them to get acclimated to their new life in Japan and at AIU. We wish them all the best for their time here. It will surely be an experience they won't soon forget!
Welcome Party
Following check-in, a welcome party was held for the new students. They were treated to dinner, a shamisen concert, and kakigori (a Japanese sno-cone) for dessert.
Calligraphy Lesson
June 29th - Summer Program students divided into two groups to practice the art of Japanese calligraphy.
The teacher began by showing them proper use of the brush, stroke order, and other skills important to writing Japanese characters elegantly. They started off with the simpler hiragana alphabet and progressed on to more difficult kanji.
At the end of the lesson, students chose their favorite characters to write. Here, two students show the kanji they have written. The student on the left wrote "dream" and the student on the right wrote "light."
Studying calligraphy is just one of many opportunities that students on the AIU's Summer Program have to learn about Japanese language and culture. With five weeks left in the program, we hope they will have many more!
Kimono Wearing Lesson
July 1 - Summer program students learned how to wear authentic Japanese kimonos from a professonal kimono teacher.
Depending upon the style, kimonos and yukatas have several layers. The obi, or belts which hold the kimono in place can be tied in a variety of styles.
It can take quite a bit of practice to tie the knots correctly and align all the layers of the kimono.
Here, a kimono teacher assists a Summer Program student in tying one of the two belts used to hold his yukata in place.
Putting on the kimono may be complicated, but the finished product is beautiful and uniquely Japanese. We hope the experience of trying on kimonos is just one of many great memories that these Summer Program students will have of their time here.
For more information about the Summer Program, including how to apply, see the summer program page.